Gas Helicopter Vs. Electric Helicopter

[eddiemoth]

When I got into the RC heli hobby, I started with electic helicopters and I've never had a chance to own a gas helicopter so far. So, it would be interesting to hear both sides sharing their thoughts and opinions. This would help people who are comtemplating the hobby and don't know which to start - gas vs. electric.

What I like about electric helicopters is they are more portible, quiet and not as smelly as as gas heli. With the least time I have 10 to 15 minutes, I can just flip it in my living room. I love it when it is raining outside I can still fly them in my home. I don't think I can do that with a gas heli.

But, I also hear folks complaining about the short flight time (though Li Po now seems to resolve some of the problems), flying difficulties, and that Li Po is expensive, etc. So I am sure there are pros and cons for either side and let's hear what you have to say.

[swatson144]

I gave up on everything Glow near 20 yrs ago. I've only lately come back into the hobbies since electric became feasible (about 2 yrs).

The biggest difference is glow makes a production of a flying day. You load up your stuff and go and fly a gallon out. Electrics you just tote a heli out to a decent patch of ground and run a couple packs out. Big decision point there. Would you rather make a day of it or get your jollies 30 mins a time? Sure there are folks who have enough land to fly nitro in their back yard, and there are folk who live in such a densely populated area that they have to make a production of flying electric. What fits your needs? IMO this is the biggest reason people fly electric or fuel, and seldom both.

Cost? as I see it it's pretty much a wash. If you worry too much about a couple hundred $ either way you are probably starting the wrong hobby (stamps don't crash :lol: ). Yep you have to shell out some bucks for batteries, but the ground support equipment don't come free for fuel. You have to buy fuel ~25$ a gal (about 12 flights on a .50 size), but batteries don't last forever.

Flight times? some fuelers get 8-9 mins of hard flight, some get 20 of easy flight. It don't seem much different to me.

Performance high end big $ electrics are really kicking butt now! Like everything else it seems if you are gonna play in the high performance area you are gonna pay what it costs.

Ease, Tuning a glow and getting it setup correctly is a bit of art. There is no voodoo in plugging in an electric.

It's an interesting time in the heli hobbies. Big electrics in the sport category are becoming very affordable due to a123 and emoly cells. This technology is still pretty much in it's infancy and I look forward to much more to come. Seems only a matter of time before capacity goes up and the already cheap (comparably) prices come down.

Steve

[The Broker]

Hi There :)
I fly both, correction try to fly both :lol: the electrics are quiet and can be flown in your back yard but if you get into the big 50 size electric then you need a field unless your yard is very big, I dont know about in other parts of the world but here in the uk you would also need insurance from the BMFA. You cannot fly just where you like.

I belong to a club so I get my insurance etc included in my fees, A club is a good way of meeting other flyers and learning from more experienced pilots.
I would like to get into scale flying and our club has scale flyers so again they will be an invaluable resource for me.

I think the ideal set up ( this is my set up ) is small and large electrics for the yard and house with nitro for the club and a scale model for scale flying. I have not purchased my nitro scale model yet but am looking probably at an Agusta 109.

Oh and a good forum to air views and get info ( helitown ). :wink:

At the end of the day it is up to the idividual to decide how far to take the hobby, you are just as much a heli pilot if you own a co-axial or a fleet of 90 size heli's.
When I first had my co-axial I was told it wasn't a real heli because it had twin rotors, then when I got a fixed pitch I was told I needed a cp heli and then I was told what i really needed was a nitro !!!!!!!!!!!!
In my opinion you are a heli pilot if you fly a heli regardless of size or rotor configuration.

Enjoy the hobby on a small or large scale, whatever suits your lifestyle or wallet.

[G-MRM]

I am lucky to fly both, the small to 50 size electric and some 50 size nitros. Nitros are new to me so I have been flying them non stop over the last couple of months.

Some of my thoughts on Nitros....

You do need (in the Uk) to join a club to fly them.

You need to set the engine up, rich is good, saves the engine from a hot death.

More need to make sure they are 100% before and after flying as the vibrations are much greater, look for loose bolts etc.

Oil gets every where !! I am always cleaning them down (other club members don't by they have never had the clean electrics !)

Lots of power to hand all the time it is running, you can pull up hard without thinking of the expensive battery getting hot. Likewise just keep an eye on the header tank, I run that out and when the engine cuts auto it down, looks cool but not from 100 feet !!!! with the battery in the T rex 600 I am looking all the time to see how long I have been flying as I don't harm the £110 ($200) battery.

More gear to carry to the field, starter, fuel pump / power panel, I take more tools in a bigger tool box that I use as a heli stand when filling starting and adjusting. If I want a quick electric flight, turn up plug in test system and fly, remove battery and put back in car.

I can fly all day.... if I wanted, just pay for the fuel (not cheap on a 50 size) I get 12, 10 min flights to a UK gallon, £18 ( $33 ) but to do a day on electric I have bought 4 Li-Pos and 4 chargers and I take a 4 large 12 volt batteries, one for each charger, I can get about 3 charges per 12v battery so same as one can of fuel, cheaper than fuel once you have all the gear but lots of batteries to carry to and from the car and to recharge before the next flight day.

So.... I still love both forms of power and with winter not far away I still can pop into the garden for a quick electric flight and back in for a warm up and charge where maybe it is not worth driving to the field and back.

Both have good and bad points and they can both be crashed in seconds, nitro or electric, the bigger they are, the more kinetic energy, the more self damage and bigger repair bills.

With all that why bother, a RC boat or car sound a better bet....
No, that buzz you get from flying a heli will win you over time after time that's why we are here :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Vera]

I like the sound and the smoke and the smell and the mess of glow engines. On crappy days I have a little CX for messing around indoors.